Backlash-take-up gear



July 30, 1929. P. A. BENTLEY BACKLASH TAKE-UP GEAR Original Filed Nov. '7 9 lhmlm n umuulmn .Pera'val A.Bad'lg. flflkad an). Attorney.

Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERGIVAL ARTHUR BENTLEY, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

BAGKLASH-TAKE-UP GEAR.

Original application filed November 7, 1924, Serial No. 748,455, and in Canada April 26, 1924, Divid d and this application filed April 2, 13:27.

This invention is for improvements in circular knitting machines and particularly in that type of machine which is characterized by having coaxial end to end needle cylinders and employing double ended needles, the movement of rotation at one time and reciprocation at another necessary to effect the knitting being given either to the needle cylinders or to the cam boxes. The present application being a division of my copending application, Serial No, 7418, 195, filed November 7, 1924.

More particularly the invention is concerned with circular knitting machines of the type aforesaid wherein it is the needle cylinders that move and the cam boxes that are stationary, as for example in the machine described and illustrated in the specification of British Patent No. 171,483. The principal object of this invention is to provide a device whereby back lash between toothed wheels on the needle cylinders and pinions with which they respectively mesh and by which the needle cylinders are actuated, can be taken up.

The invention will become apparent from the following description of one convenient embodiment thereof as applied to a machine of the type described in the aforesaid British specification.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of those portions only of the machine which are necessary for the understanding of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a part sectional elevation' of; the gear wheels for actuating the upper needle cylinder; and

Figure 3 is a part plan of the gear wheels shown in Figure 2.

The machine comprises a frame 10, upon which are rigidly and immovably secured upper and lower cam box carriers 11 and 12 that are interconnected by rods 13. Fast on the upper carrier 11 is the upper cam box 14, while the lower cam box 15 is immovably secured to the lower carrier 12. The upper and lower needle cylinders 16 and 17 rotate within their respective cam boxes and fast thereon are needle cylinder toothed wheels 18, 19 which are housed in recesses in the upper and lower cam box carriers 11, 12 respectively. The toothed wheels 18, 19 mesh with corresponding pinion devices on a shaft 20, which pinion devices are hereinafter more fully described. The needle cylinders are rotated at Serial No. 186,562.

one time and reciprocated at another time in the usual manner by any appropriate drivmg and automatic clutch mechanisms, such for example as described in British specification No. 171,483. The driving mechanism acts on the needle cylinders 16, 17 through a bevel wheel 21 which is fast on the main driving shaft 22' and gears with a bevel wheel 23 carried by a sleeve 24;. This sleeve has lts bearing in the bed of the machine and the lower needle cylinder 17 is secured to said sleeve. Thus movement is imparted to the lower needle cylinder 17 and the movements of that cylinder are communicated to the upper needle cylinder 16 through the toothed wheel 19, the pinion devices on the shaft 20 and the toothed wheel 18.

To enable back lash between the toothed wheels 18 and 19 and the pinion devices with which said toothed wheels respectively mesh to be taken up, each of said pinion devices comprises as shown in Figure 2, two superposed pinions 26 and 27. The pinion 26 has in it two tapped holes 28, 29 on a diameter of the pinion to receive screws 80, 31 for securing the pinions 26, 27 together by the engagement of conical heads on the screws with conical bores 82, 83 in the pinion 27. The bores 32, and 33 are arranged on radii of the pinion 27 that are slightly inclined to one another as shown in Figure 8 so that by screwing the screws 30 and 31 down to different extents the pinions 26 and 27 may be clamped together with their teeth slightly out of line and back lash between the device made up of the pinions 26, 27 and the toothed wheel 18 or 19 can be taken up.

I claim- A gear wheel for taking up the back lash comprising superposed and corresponding sections each having peripheral teeth, the lower of said sections having two diametrically opposed and threaded screw-receiving openings extending therethrough, the upper section having two diametrically opposed openings therein of greater diameter than that of the openings of said lower section and slightly out of register therewith, the upper portion of each opening within said upper section being countersimk and beveled, two conical headed screws extending through said openings for clamping together said superposed sections with the adjacent side faces thereof in engagement, the shank portion of each screw being of less exterior diameter 5 being complementary in shape and of less diameter throughoutthan that of the countel-sunk beveled portion 01 the openings with in the upper section, whereby through adj ustinent of said screws in the threaded openings 10 of the lower section said sections can be adjusted relatively about their axis andlocked in tiiat adjusted position with their inner side faces in clamping engagement by the binding action of the conical heads of the screws upon the countersunk beveled surfaces of the openings in said upper section and without any portion of said screws projecting from the outer faces of said section's.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature PEROIVAL ARTHUR BENTLEY. 

